The invention relates to a game machine having a main display unit in which a plurality of rotary devices are disposed side by side, the devices spinning rotary members, on whose circumferential surfaces reel strips are retained, as well as to a display device.
Slot machines and pachinko machines have hitherto been known as this type of game machine. In each of the game machines, a plurality of reels are disposed side by side, the reels being rotary devices for successively displaying, in a predetermined sequence, a plurality of symbols, such as xe2x80x9cPLUM,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cBELL,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cWATERMELON,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cCHERRY,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9c7,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cBAR.xe2x80x9d Each reel retains, on a circumferential surface of a reel framework, a reel tape, which is a reel strip having a plurality of symbols printed thereon. The symbols are successively displayed by means of spinning the reel frameworks serving as rotary members. In a display area which is provided in a game machine main unit and enables display of about three to four symbols on each of the reels, symbols printed on the respective reels appear and then disappear from the upstream side to the downstream side in the spinning direction of the reel.
A reel unit, which serves as a main display unit and in which a plurality of reels are provided side by side, is provided with winning lines such that the lines extend across the reels. To the extent possible, the spinning reels are brought to a standstill at a timing of establishment of a combination of symbols corresponding to a result of sampling operation performed by sampling unit, which selects a winning mode such as a xe2x80x9cbig winxe2x80x9d through sampling. When a predetermined combination of symbols is established along a winning line, a predetermined award, such as provision of a bonus game very advantageous to acquisition of a win, is afforded to a player.
The inventor has built a prototype game machine of such a configuration and carried out a test run, which resulted in an anomaly. Specifically, in spite of failure to establish a xe2x80x9cwinning combinationxe2x80x9d along a winning line, a win arose. A survey on a cause of the anomaly shows that the anomaly is attributable to erroneous labeling of the reel tapes.
As shown in FIG. 20, a reel 100 employed in a game machine has a reel framework 101 serving as a rotary member, a reel drive motor 28, a backlight device 102, and a reel tape 106. Formed in the reel framework 101 are five spoke sections and a circular ladder section. The five spoke sections extend radially from a shaft section which is connected to the reel drive motor 28. A sensing plate 103 is provided on one of the five spoke sections so as to project toward the inside of the framework. The reel tape 106, on which a plurality of symbols (not shown) are printed, is wrapped around the circular ladder section of the reel framework 101. The backlight device 102 is stationarily provided so as not to move together with the reel framework 101. The backlight device 102 is for illuminating, from the inside, respective symbols provided on the reel tape 106 wrapped around the reel framework 101. A reel position sensor 25 for detecting the sensing plate 103 provided on the reel framework 101 is provided on the side surface of the backlight device 102. When the reel framework 101 spins through a predetermined rotational angle, the reel position sensor 25 detects the sensing plate 103. On the basis of a result of sensing operation performed by the reel position sensor 25, the reel drive motor 28 in operation is stopped, thereby aligning symbols corresponding to a result of sampling along an unillustrated winning line. In the prototype machine, the reels are arranged side by side so as to assume a left position, a center position, and a right position, thereby constituting a single reel unit.
As shown in FIG. 21, the reel tape 106 is formed by printing a plurality of symbols on a plastic film. An overlap margin 106a is provided at the lower end of the reel tape 106, and the leading end of the reel tape is superimposed on the overlap margin 106a, whereby the reel tape 106 is wrapped around the reel framework 101. A reference mark 107 is printed on the overlap margin 106a and represents a reference position for wrapping the reel tape 106 around the reel framework 101 shown in FIG. 20. A small protrusion 105 is provided on the circular ladder portion of the reel framework 101 in the manner as shown in FIG. 20. The reel tape 106 is wrapped such that the protrusion 105 is aligned with the reference mark 107, whereby the reel tape 106 is fixed at a regular position of the reel framework 101.
The reel tape 106 fixed at the regular position places a symbol printed at, e.g., the extremity (i.e., the top shown in FIG. 21) of the reel tape, on an unillustrated winning line at the moment the reel position sensor 25 has detected the sensing plate 103. Seven types of symbols; xe2x80x9cRED 7,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cBLUE 7,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cBAR,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cWATERMELON,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cBELL,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cCHERRY,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cPLUMxe2x80x9d; that is, a total number of 21 symbols, are printed on the reel tape 106 shown in FIG. 21. This reel tape 106 is dedicated to the left reel. Custom-designed reel tapes 106, each having seven types of symbols; that is, 21 symbols, printed thereon, are used for the remaining center and right reels. These reel tapes totally differ from the reel tape for the left reel in terms of arrangement of symbols.
As mentioned above, at the moment the reel position sensor 25 has detected the sensing plate 103, the symbol printed at, e.g., the extremity of the reel tape 106 is situated at a winning line. The symbols on the reel tape 106 are printed at given pitches. Each time a period of X msec lapses from that moment, subsequent symbols sequentially come to the winning line. In each of the reel tape 106 for the left reel, that for the center reel, and that for the right reel, xe2x80x9cBELLxe2x80x9d is assumed to be printed at the third, seventh, and twelfth frames from the extremity position. If the reels are sequentially stopped after lapse of 3xc3x97, 7xc3x97 and 12xc3x97 msec from the moment, a xe2x80x9cBELL winning combinationxe2x80x9d consisting of three xe2x80x9cBELLxe2x80x9d symbols can be established along a winning line. Here, the reel tape 106 for the left reel is assumed to have been erroneously labeled to the center reel. If xe2x80x9cPLUMxe2x80x9d is located at the seventh frame from the extremity position of this reel tape 106, a xe2x80x9cfailure symbol combinationxe2x80x9d; that is, xe2x80x9cBELL-PLUM-BELL,xe2x80x9d is displayed along a winning line. Nevertheless, the game machine deems a xe2x80x9cBELL winning combinationxe2x80x9d as having been established along a winning line, thereby effecting a rewarding operation; e.g., payment of a predetermined number of medals. In this way, the foregoing anomaly arises.
In this way, labeling of a reel tape 106 on a reel of inappropriate type results in occurrence of an anomaly. Even when the reel tape 106 is labeled on an appropriate reel, if a reel is placed at an incorrect position; such as the left reel being placed at the position for the right reel, an analogous anomaly arises. Explanation has been given of an example of a slot machine serving as a game machine. However, analogous anomalies arise in a display device which does not have any function of offering games and has only the function of displaying a combination of symbols through use of a main display unit, such as a reel unit.
The invention has been conceived in light of the foregoing background and aims at providing a game machine and a display device which inhibit occurrence of at least either shipment of a game machine while symbols of inappropriate types are fixed on rotary members or shipment of a game machine while rotary members are mounted at erroneous positions.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
(1) A game machine comprising:
a main display in which a plurality of reels, rotatable in a spinning direction, are disposed side by side, each of the plurality of reels including,
a reference mark representing a reference position at which a reel strip is to be applied,
the reel strip on which a plurality of symbols are applied and which is provided on an annular peripheral face thereof, and includes a positioning mark provided on the reel strip for effecting alignment between the positioning mark and the reference mark,
a rotational position sensor for sensing a predetermined rotational position of the reel, and
a drive unit for operatively rotating the reel, wherein at least two of the reel strip differ in terms of relative position in the spinning direction of the reel between the symbols on the reel strip and the corresponding positioning mark, and
wherein when the respective reel come to a standstill at the predetermined rotation positions, positions of respective symbols defined between the reel corresponding to the at least two reel strips are shifted from each other in the spinning direction.
In this game machine, when respective rotary members are brought to a standstill at rotational positions detected by a rotational position sensor, not all symbols on the respective rotational members which come to the predetermined positions on the main display unit are aligned with each other; at least two symbols are minutely shifted from each other in the spinning direction. In at least two rotary members which cause the positions of the symbols to shift from each other, if a reel strip of inappropriate type is applied to any one of the two rotary members, a shift pattern of symbols at the predetermined position on the main display unit is changed. Since the positions of positioning marks on the respective reel strips are caused to differ in the spinning direction, if a reel strip of inappropriate type is applied on a reel, the applied position of the tape is minutely shifted. Therefore, an error in the type of reel strip applied on at least one of the two rotary members can be identified readily on the basis of a change in the shift pattern of symbols at the predetermined position on the main display unit; e.g., a winning line.
Even when the reference marks provided on at least these two rotary members are at the same locations, the shift pattern changes in accordance with a difference in positions of the positioning marks, which is caused when a reel strip of inappropriate type is applied on a reel.
(2) The game machine according to (1), wherein
the respective rotational position sensor senses sections to be detected provided on corresponding reels, thereby senses the predetermined rotational positions, and
the reels corresponding to at least two of the reel strips differ in terms of an angle formed between the symbols on the reel strip and the section to be detected, so that positions of respective symbols on rotation paths are shifted from each other in the spinning direction.
In this game machine, at least two rotary members differ in terms of an angle formed between symbols on the reel strip applied to the rotary member and the detection to be detected provided on the rotary member. The positions of the respective symbols on the rotary members that have come to a standstill at a predetermined position detected by the rotational sensor are shifted from each other in the spinning direction of the rotary members. By means of such a configuration, the two rotary members are manually spun until the sections to be detected provided on the respective rotary members assume the attitude at which the sections are detected by the rotary member sensor, thereby stopping the rotary sections at the predetermined rotational positions. Hence, an error in the type of the reel strip applied on one of at least two rotary members can be readily identified without involvement of the trouble of causing the stop control unit to operate so as to stop the rotary members at the predetermined rotational positions.
The positions of the symbols are shifted from each other in the spinning direction by means of causing at least two of the rotary members to differ in relative position. However, in addition to a change in the relative position, the positions of the sections to be detected may be changed minutely.
(3) The game machine according to (1), wherein
all the reel strips differ in terms of the relative position in the spinning direction, and
when the respective reels come to a standstill at the predetermined rotation positions, positions of respective symbols on rotation paths are shifted from each other in the spinning direction.
In this game machine, when the rotary members are brought to a standstill at the rotational positions detected by the rotational position sensor, symbols of the respective rotary members, which come to predetermined positions on the main display unit, are not aligned with each other in the horizontal direction; the symbols are minutely shifted from each other in the spinning direction. For instance, in the case of a main display unit having three rotary members disposed in the left, center, and right positions, respectively, the positions of the symbols located at the predetermined position, such as a winning line, are shifted from each other by one-third an interval between symbols (hereinafter called a xe2x80x9csymbol intervalxe2x80x9d) in the spinning direction. If a reel strip for a right rotary member is used for the left rotary member, the shift pattern is changed. Hence, occurrence of an error can be readily identified. Even when the reel strip has been erroneously applied to the left rotary member, the shift pattern is changed. Hence, occurrence of an error can be readily identified. Hence, an error in the types of reel strips applied on all the rotary members can be readily identified.
(4) The game machine according to (3), wherein
all the rotational position sensor sense the same rotational positions of the reels; and,
when all the rotary members come to a standstill at the rotational positions, the reference marks are stopped at identical locations in a spinning direction.
In this game machine, identical rotational positions are detected by a rotational position sensor for all the rotary members. Further, reference marks are provided at identical locations on the rotary members in the spinning direction. By means of such a configuration, a combination of the rotary member and the rotational position sensor can be used for all the spinning devices. The shift pattern of symbols located at the predetermined location on the main display unit is dependent only on the positions of the positioning marks provided on the reel strips. Hence, even when a rotary member having a reel strip that has already been applied thereon is erroneously attached to the game machine main body, the shaft pattern of symbols appearing at the predetermined location is changed, thereby enabling easy identification of the error.
(5) The game machine according to (3) further comprising a stop control unit for controlling stoppage of the respective reels at detection timing defined by the corresponding rotational position sensor,
wherein the stop control unit causes mutual shifting of spin stop timings of the reels determined by the detection timings of the rotation position sensor, so as to display the symbols of the respective reels at the predetermined positions on the main display unit while being aligned with each other.
In this game machine, the rotational stop positions (i.e., rotational stop angles) are reversely shifted by only the amount corresponding to that by which the positioning marks on the reel strips of the respective rotary members have been shifted. As a result, the respective rotary members can be stopped at rotational angles such that symbols are aligned at a predetermined location on the main display unit. If a reel strip of inappropriate type is applied to any one of the rotary members or if any one of the rotary members is attached to a wrong position, symbols on the respective rotary members are not aligned with each other at the predetermined position on the main display unit. Hence, occurrence of such an error can be readily identified. Further, an operation for determining whether or not the symbols located at the predetermined position are aligned with each other is easier than a task of ascertaining whether or not a predetermined shift pattern has been achieved. Hence, occurrence of an error can be identified.
(6) A game machine including:
a main display in which a plurality of reels, rotatable in a spinning direction, are disposed side by side, each of the plurality of reels including,
a reference mark representing a reference position at which a reel strip is to be applied, wherein the reel strips differ in terms of a relative position in the spinning direction between symbols on the reel strip and the positioning mark,
the reel strip on which a plurality of symbols are applied and which is provided on an annular peripheral face thereof, and includes a positioning mark provided on the reel strip for effecting alignment between the positioning mark and the reference mark,
a rotational position sensor for sensing a predetermined rotational position of the reel, and a drive unit for operatively rotating the reel,
wherein the reference marks respectively provided on the reels are provided at the same locations on the reels in the spinning direction,
wherein the respective rotational position sensors sense rotational positions of the rotary members, which differ from each other, such that the respective rotational position sensor senses the predetermined locations in the corresponding reels at a timing at which the respective symbols on rotational paths assume the same positions on the reels.
In this game machine, when the respective rotary members are brought to a standstill at identical rotational positions, not all symbols on the respective rotary members are aligned with each other at a predetermined position of the main display unit for reasons of the positioning marks on the reel strips being shifted from each other in the spinning direction. As a result, the symbols are minutely shifted from each other in the spinning direction. The rotational position sensor of the respective spinning devices are arranged to detect different rotational positions, respectively. When the respective rotary members have come to a standstill at corresponding rotational positions, the symbols on the respective rotary members are aligned with each other. By means of such a configuration, if a reel strip of inappropriate type is applied on any one of the rotary members, only the symbol on that reel strip is minutely shifted from the predetermined position in the spinning direction, for reasons of a misalignment of the positioning mark of that reel strip. Therefore, an error in the type of the reel strip from among all the reel strips applied on the rotary members can be readily identified. With regard to the symbols on the respective rotary members stopped at the predetermined position on the main display unit, a determination is made as to whether or not the symbols are aligned with each other as in the case of the game machine of (5), rather than as to occurrence of a change in the shift pattern as performed in the game machines of (1) and (2). Hence, an error in the type of the applied symbol plate can be identified more easily than in the case of the game machines of (1), (2), and (3). Moreover, the rotary members can be stopped such that symbols are aligned with each other at the predetermined location without performing a stop control operation for shifting the rotation stop timings of the respective rotary members as is performed in the game machine of (5).
(7) A display apparatus comprising:
a main display in which a plurality of reels, rotatable in a spinning direction, are disposed side by side, each of the plurality of reels including,
a reference mark representing a reference position at which a reel strip is to be applied,
the reel strip on which a plurality of symbols are applied and which is provided on an annular peripheral face thereof, and includes a positioning mark provided on the reel strip for effecting alignment between the positioning mark and the reference mark,
a rotational position sensor for sensing a predetermined rotational position of the reel, and a drive unit for operatively rotating the reel,
wherein at least two of the reel strips differ in terms of a relative position in the spinning direction between symbols on each of the reel strip and the positioning mark, and
wherein when the respective reels come to a standstill at the predetermined rotation positions, positions of respective symbols on rotation paths corresponding to at least two reel strips are shifted from each other in the spinning direction.
In the display device, on the basis of a change in the shift pattern of symbols appearing at a predetermined location on the main display unit; e.g., a display window, a difference in types of reel strips applied on at least two rotary members can be readily ascertained.